Jet & Pressure Washing in Suffolk
The single biggest before-and-after on any Suffolk home isn't a lick of paint — it's a proper jet wash on the driveway and patio. Years of green algae, moss, lichen and ground-in dirt come off in an afternoon.
What jet washing actually does
Three things wreck the look of a Suffolk patio or driveway: organic growth (moss, algae, lichen), embedded grime (dirt particles forced into porous slabs by rain and footfall), and weed colonisation in the joints. A pressure washer at the right setting will remove all three in a single pass, often making block paving and Indian sandstone look genuinely new again. The transformation on a winter-blackened sandstone patio is honestly hard to believe until you've seen it.
Used wrong, though, a pressure washer can do real damage: it'll lift loose pointing, blast joint sand out of block paving, etch soft York stone and old terracotta, score timber decking and even strip paint and render off walls. The skill is reading the surface, picking the right nozzle and pressure, and working in the right pattern. That's where experience matters more than equipment.
Driveways, paths and parking areas
Block paving driveways are a regular booking from spring onwards. The technique is to clean systematically in passes, lift the worst weed growth out by hand or with a wire brush before pressure washing, then re-sand the joints with kiln-dried jointing sand once the surface has dried. Without that re-sanding step, the joints stay loose and weeds come straight back through. I do the full process — not just the spectacular wet-look bit.
Tarmac driveways need a softer touch — too high a pressure will start lifting the surface aggregate. Concrete and exposed-aggregate concrete clean up beautifully. Gravel driveways aren't pressure washed for obvious reasons, but I can rake, top up and re-edge them as part of a wider tidy.
Patios, decking and garden paving
Patios are where the dramatic before-and-after photos come from. Indian sandstone, porcelain paving, riven limestone, and the pre-cast concrete slabs you'll find in older Suffolk gardens all clean up well. I'll spot-test an inconspicuous corner first to make sure the pressure setting is right for that specific surface and age of slab.
Decking is more delicate. Softwood deck boards get scored easily, so I work along the grain at lower pressure, then apply a fresh coat of decking oil or stain once everything has dried for a few days. Composite decking is more forgiving but still needs the right nozzle to avoid dulling the surface texture.
Walls, render, fences and bins
I also pressure wash render (carefully — checking adhesion first), brick walls, garden walls, fence panels (low pressure only — otherwise the panels delaminate), garden furniture, wheelie bins, and the algae-streaked side of garages and outbuildings. The bin job in particular is a regular request — happy to clean and disinfect a household's bins as a single visit, or as part of a wider exterior cleaning round.
Aftercare so it lasts
A pressure-washed surface will look great for around twelve to eighteen months on its own. With aftercare — a sealing coat on block paving, decking oil on timber, a moss inhibitor spray on north-facing patios — you can stretch that to three or four years before it needs a serious re-clean. I'll talk you through the right aftercare for your particular surface as part of the quote and you can decide whether to add it on.
Frequently asked questions
Will jet washing damage my patio?
Not if it's done correctly. I spot-test the surface first, pick the right nozzle and pressure, and work in patterns that protect the substrate. Loose pointing or already-cracked slabs are flagged before we start.
Do you re-sand block paving after cleaning?
Yes — this is included as standard. Re-sanding the joints is what stops weeds growing straight back through and what keeps the blocks locked together.
How long does a typical driveway take?
A standard two-car block paving driveway is usually a long half-day including the re-sand. A larger driveway plus a patio is typically a single full day.
Do you supply your own water?
I use your outside tap on most jobs. If you don't have one I can arrange a tank-based setup — just mention this when you enquire.
What about the mess and the runoff?
I sweep up the displaced muck and dispose of it. Any paint or fuel contamination flagged before we start so we can plan it appropriately rather than wash it into a drain.
Other services I offer across Suffolk
Towns I cover for jet washing
I work across the whole of Suffolk. A handful of the towns I regularly visit:
Ready to book jet washing in Suffolk?
Drop me a line with a few photos and a description of the job. I'll come back to you the same day with an honest opinion and a no-obligation quote.